Review: Hot Chip - Made In The Dark

Posted on 19 February 2008 | No Comments

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Hot Chip - Made In The DarkFuck yeah! CYSTSFTS faves Hot Chip are back with a killer new record called Made In The Dark which is (again) filled with spastic indie electro r&b soul pop that ranges from inside jokes I don’t really understand to fantastic and glitchy ear candy. The album is great, but only in fits and starts; it is wide-ranging and exploratory but lacks a real cohesion as well as a true barn burner like “Boy From School.” That shouldn’t matter though since an only above-average record from Hot Chip is better than a stellar record from most other groups.

I really shouldn’t like this record, or even Hot Chip and their am-i-serious-or-is-this-a-joke electro pop, but ever since I saw them at Lollapalooza ’06, I’ve been hooked. A few listens and I’m sure you’ll be a believer too. Made In The Dark is out now on the amazing Astralwerks label.

MP3 | Hot Chip – One Pure Thought Made In The Dark
MP3 | Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor Made In The Dark
MP3 | Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (Jesse Rose Mix)
MP3 | Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (Shake A Fist Diplo Mix)
MP3 | Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (Soulwax Dub)

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Review: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (or) apom the little blue pill box

Posted on 25 March 2007 | 4 Comments

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Evidently I’m not as hip as I’d like to think (no snide comments please). Only recently have I become enamored with the smoky and sultry vocals of Amy Winehouse and I can’t get enough of her latest Columbia Records album Back To Black. I won’t go on and on about it (or any of the tabloid-worthy drama that she seems to be involved with), but Back To Black is sooooooo good. It plays like a jazz-inflected interpretation of the classic 50’s and 60’s doo-wop sound with modern R&B production qualities. Motown in style but modern in scope. Perfect shoulder-shakin’ music for the warm up we here in Chicago are gonna get today.

MP3 | Amy Winehouse – Rehab Back To Black
MP3 | Amy Winehouse – Back To Black Back To Black
MP3 | Amy Winehouse – Rehab (Hot Chip Remix)
MP3 | Amy Winehouse – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

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Review: Catfish Haven - Tell Me (or) you can have me in the evening

Posted on 15 August 2006 | 2 Comments

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OK. So while Ryan from Muzzle Of Bees is away for the week, I’ll be guest posting over at his marvelous site from time to time. And since I am always pressed for time this is posted (in slightly different formats) at both places. Deal with it.

Although I can only speak for myself, one of the highlights of last weekend’s Lollapalooza festival for both Ryan (see above) and me was watching Catfish Haven’s exuberant performance early on Sunday. The Secretly Canadian website states:

“Like Otis sweating out ‘Pain In My Heart’ or Marvin begging ‘Please Stay’, Catfish Haven are amongst few bands that can command a stage; keep a crowd up with a high energy live performance and still deliver such heartache.”

So true. There were probably 100 people watching Catfish Haven when they began their set, but (by my estimation) there were over a thousand by the end. George, Miguel, Ryan, and company ripped through both new and old songs with punk rock energy and Motown soul. It was like Otis Redding singing Ramones songs. All comparisons aside, fucking amazing is exactly how I would describe it.

The band has a great new record called Tell Me that is ragged and raw yet somehow refined. Less up tempo than their awesome Please Come Back EP, the album is energetic Americana that is fueled by George Hunter’s smoky and soulful vocals. Modern classics that are channeled through the sounds of The Jam, the Kings of Leon, and Sam Cooke. Tell Me will be out on Secretly Canadian on September 12th, with a record release show four days later (9/16 for the math-impaired) at Chicago’s Double Door. Both Ryan and I fully endorse Catfish Haven. Hard to describe but easy to love. We suggest you see them live, pick up their records, and become their friend on Myspace.

MP3 | Catfish Haven – Crazy For Leaving Tell Me
MP3 | Catfish Haven – Please Come Back Please Come Back EP

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